Table 1_ZmEIL2 positively regulates drought tolerance in maize by modulating stomatal movement, hormonal homeostasis, and antioxidant defense.xlsx

Furthermore, ZmEIL2 modulated endogenous ETH and abscisic acid (ABA) levels under drought stress and enhanced the antioxidant defense system by increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), thereby diminishing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, as evidenced by 3,3’-diaminobenzidine (DAB) and nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) staining. We performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)on wild-type (WT), OE, and KO plants sampled at 0, 10, and 13 days of drought treatment and identified 120 core drought-responsive genes involved in stress perception, oxidoreductase activity, and metabolic reprogramming.

Notably, 11 candidate genes, including ZmSOD16, ZmPAL7, ZmHSP101, ZmHSP70, ZmGA2ox3, and ZmSMT1, exhibited strictly opposite expression trends between OE and KO under normal conditions, suggesting their roles in antioxidant defense, protein protection, and hormone and carbohydrate metabolism. Collectively, these results demonstrate that ZmEIL2 as a positive regulator of drought tolerance in maize via a multi-layered regulatory mechanism encompassing stomatal regulation, hormonal balance, membrane integrity, osmotic adjustment, and ROS scavenging.

This work provides valuable candidate genes for the breeding of drought-resilient maize varieties.</p>